GCC Presents . . . Jennifer Banash!!

Hey Everyone-

This week on the Girlfriend's Cyber Circuit, I'm thrilled to host the talented Ms. Jennifer Banash who I was lucky enough to meet! (Okay, it was via e-mail, but it was still really cool!).

Anyway, Jennifer's latest book in her ELITE series, SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, was just released this week and she was kind enough to stop by and answer a few questions for us.


But first, The Story:

Third and last in The Elite book series – Jennifer Banash brings us more adventures from the spoiled, rich teens in Manhattan who nearly ate Casey McCloy alive when she first arrived in the Big Apple from her small town of Normal, Illinois. Casey learned very quickly after she moved in with her grandmother at The Bramford, the most exclusive luxury apartment building on New York’s Upper East Side and got into the prestigious Meadowlark Academy on a full scholarship, that it’s not who you are but who you know!

Simply Irresistible (Penguin) brings us a whole new set of adventures now that Casey has had a big city-haute makeover, courtesy of her classmate and neighbor Madison Macallister – part teen icon and part queen diva-bitch. Wearing the right clothes, saying the right things, and meeting the right people, has given Casey the look and the attitude – she’s “in” and loving it! Much to Madison’s dismay, her rival is climbing up the social ladder in a big way and could end up just as popular as Madison now that the two are set to star in their own TV reality show, “De-Luxe.” Yes, showbiz came knocking on two of The Bramford’s most illustrious doors and, as much as Madison thrives on the attention the show brings, she’s not thrilled about having every bit of her life of privilege caught on tape. However, fame comes at a price and Madison is one chick who is willing to pay anything…especially if it means becoming the next reality “it girl.” Casey, on the other hand, is realizing that Reality TV can sometimes beunreal, causing her to wonder if she even knows who she is anymore. With her relationship with Drew, Madison’s ex, currently more off than on, she can’t help wondering if everything i n her life is really just an illusion – and how much longer the illusion can last….

Although The Elite series is obsessed with fashion and glamour, Branash does an impressive job of examining real issues that teens face, such as cutting, divorce, infidelity, and drug addiction. Having personally attended high school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan provided the author with the background for her ample insight and imagination portrayed in The Elite Series.

The Praise:

"If you love all the drama, scandal, and high-end fashion of Gossip

Girl...you'll want to check out...The Elite!"--Seventeen.com

"The Elite is Pretty in Pink for the millennium generation."--Romance

Reviews Today

"An awesome tale of friendship and betrayal with just the right amount

of humor and heart. Seriously irresistible, and impossible to put down."--Alexa Young, author of Frenemies

The Same 5 Questions I Always Ask:

1. Every story has a backstory, what's the backstory for your book?

I'm obsessed with reality TV, so I knew from the beginning of crafting the series that eventually the girls were going to get their own reality TV show. The weird thing was that after I had finished Simply Irresistible, Bravo came out with NYC Prep, which is basically the EXACT same show the girls in my book end up on. The concept is basically the same, except the show in my book is called De-Luxe, which I think is a much better name!

2. What's your work environment like? Any rituals, totems, or must haves?

I have to work with headphones on, and music blaring very loudly in my ears. I used to have to also get completely jacked up on caffeine to work, but my doctor banned me from it when I recovering from a serious head injury, and I just haven't started drinking it again since.

3. If you could live inside any book-- which would it be?

Anything by Virginia Woolf. Her prose is so gorgeously descriptive.

4. What book rocked your world growing up?

Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. Not exactly YA, but I was obsessed with it. I was a pretty alienated teen, so the story really resonated with me.

5. If you could visit any time, place, or person- what, where, or who would it be?

I'd hang out with Marilyn Monroe in the fifties. She'd show me around the whole studio system, and she's teach me all her make up secrets so I could be a glamorous and fabulous as her!

Jennifer's Story:

Jennifer Banash attended high school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and currently divides her time between Paris and the Midwest—where she lives with her Beagle, Sigmund, and her vast designer shoe collection. She is the co-founder and co-publisher of Impetus Press, an independent publishing house that champions serious literary fiction with a pop edge.

You can visit her at:

http://www.theelitebooks.com/index.html

GCC Presents . . .a Jennifer Banash free book giveaway!!

This week, I'm thrilled to host awesome YA author/self described shoe fanatic, Jennifer Banash, whose second book in her ELITE series, IN TOO DEEP, was just released!! And lucky for us, she was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions.

And she's also giving away a signed copy of IN TOO DEEP to the person who comments with the best Valentine's Day story! 

 But first:

THE STORY:

If you don’t belong here— you just don’t belong…

The Bramford building’s newest resident and small-town transplant Casey McCloy is adapting to life in the Big Apple and loving it. She’s got the look, the attitude, and a delish new boyfriend, Drew Van Allen. But she’s starting to have second thoughts as to whether the “New York” Casey is the real Casey. And she’s not so sure she likes herself much anymore. She’s not the only one.

Madison Macallister has always had her Manolo Blahniks firmly planted on the top rung of the social ladder—until that corn-fed cow Casey stole Drew away from her and made her look the fool. So what if Madison wasn’t exactly dating Drew at the time? She wanted him. And everyone knows that Madison gets what she wants, like Drew—and a little revenge.

Praise For THE ELITE series, and IN TOO DEEP:

“The Elite is Pretty in Pink for the millennium generation.”
—Romance Reviews Today

What's a Normal, Illinois girl to do when she enters the world of New York City's rich and bitchy? Hold tight, because this is one drama-filled ride."
--Melissa Walker, author of Violet on the Runway.

"In Too Deep is a seductive read."
—Innovative: A Word for the WriTeen Blog

“Fans of the drama, romance, gossip, and privileged lifestyle depicted in Gossip Girl and Blue Bloods will be drawn to In Too Deep... In Too Deep continues to showcase the glitzy and glamorous lifestyle of New York City’s privileged teens...Banash’s Elite series continues to rock above the rest.”
—The Compulsive Reader Blog

“As you know, life in the posh and drama-filled Upper East Side is never easy! Hold onto your Hermes scarves and Coach handbags, the Bram Clan is back for more action and drama!”
—The Book Vault Blog

“Banash is fabulous at creating relatable characters in over-the-top situations.”
—In Bed With Books Blog

The same questions I always ask:


1. Every story has a backstory, what's the backstory for your book?

I was working as a ghost writer for a bestselling YA series, and having a great time, but something kept nagging at me, the thought that, "You know, I could do this better!" Sounds conceited, but it's 100% true. I knew the terrain the series was covering intimately, and I was interested in the stories that were NOT getting told.

2. What's your work environment like? Any rituals, totems, or must haves?

I work at the kitchen table! I've tried having a desk, but I just can't do it. There's something downright magical about the kitchen table for me. The only other place I work is a local coffee house. But no matter where I am, I HAVE to have some kind of cakey-muffiney treat to reward myself after a few pages . . . or sentences . . .:)

3. What book rocked your world growing up?

Less Than Zero, by Bret Easton Ellis. I read it and thought "Awesome. Someone feels as alienated and disconnected as me!" I was not a happy camper as a teenager, LOL! Also, I was obsessed with the Sweet Valley High books (the original series) when I was around 11--just OBSESSED. I still collect the SVH's with the original covers all these years later. (I felt the same way about CATCHER IN THE RYE--too bad I didn't know you then!- Alyson)

4. If you could visit any time, place, or person- what, where, or who would it be?
I would like to go back and spend time in old-time Hollywood--really see inside the old studio system and hang out with stars like Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, and Marilyn Monroe. The time just represents glamour, intrigue, and the most delicious scandal.

Jennifer's Story:


Jennifer Banash attended high school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and currently lives in Southern California with her Beagle, Sigmund, and her vast designer shoe collection. She is the author of THE ELITE series, published by Berkley Jam. Watch for the third installment of THE ELITE, SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, coming in July 09!

Links:

IN TOO DEEP on Amazon

THE ELITE on Amazon

Jennifer’s Blog:

jenniferbanash.wordpress.com

Jennifer’s Website

MySpace:

Facebook:

Don't forget to comment for your chance to win!!!!